


separate ways

by challa (inflouence)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Trailer, Canon-Typical Violence, Endgame, Gen, Sad, but i mean it's implied he will, i used that one comic speech, mentions of the avengers, steve doesn't die in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18365219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inflouence/pseuds/challa
Summary: Steve visits Sam and Bucky in the soul stone before he dies.





	separate ways

**Author's Note:**

> i was thinking about how marvel would never let sam and bucky say goodbye to steve and well this is the product of those thoughts

The flames engulfing the ruins of the compound flared behind him. Steve’s body heaved as he struggled to get himself up, his shield on the ground.

“You could not live with your own failure,” Thanos was saying, but Steve wasn't looking. Instead he grabbed for his shield. “Where did that bring you?”

Soon he had mustered up enough strength to slowly stand. Steve gripped onto the straps of the shield as tight as they would go. He grit his teeth as he watched the mad Titan approach him, gauntlet in hand.

“Back to me,” Thanos continued.

Steve took a step towards his opponent. “We’re not done with you yet.”

“We?” Thanos let out a booming laugh. He gestured to the burning surroundings. “Look at you! Look around you. Your friends are gone. Your home is gone. Everything you love, gone. You are the very last man standing.”

As Thanos was speaking Steve was still drawing nearer, the villainous speech doing nothing to deter him. He let his hand drop, his shield resting at his side, and soon he was face to face with Thanos. The last time Steve had gotten the chance to be this close to him, the Titan had knocked him down and proceeded to wipe out half of the universe. They had failed. Steve was determined for the results this time to be entirely different.

“As long as one man stands against you, Thanos, you’ll _never_ be able to claim victory,” he spat.

A small smile crept its way along Thanos’ face. He leaned forward. “Noble sentiments from one who is about to die.”

Steve raised his shield. “I’ve lived my life by these sentiments,” he began, adjusting his stance as Thanos swung an angry gauntlet-clad fist at him, “They’re well worth dying for.”

He was able to dodge the punch, sliding away from the Titan and coming up again on his other side. All Steve could think about was the people they had lost, those that he’d known and even those he hadn’t. As he continued to evade the attacks being hurled at him he reminded himself of everything that was at stake.

Yet he could only do so much. As Thanos lunged at him, Steve held up his shield in defense but was taken aback as it met with the gauntlet, immediately proceeding to split in two. Steve barely had time to gape at the destruction before a bare fist connected to his face. He flew back to where he had started only moments before, releasing a shaky breath. He tried to sit up but was again knocked down.

“The very last man standing,” Thanos spoke, crouching down. He cocked his head to the side. “It’s a shame.”

Everything hurt as Steve continued to try to get back up. He was nearly back on his feet. “I—” He coughed, choking out his next words. “I c-could do this all day.”

“Could you now,” Thanos responded. He lifted the hand wearing the gauntlet. “I do admire and commend your valor, Captain. Not many have made it this far. But yet again you are defeated.”

Steve clenched the fist that lay on the dry earth. “I’m not dead yet.”

“No, not now. But soon.” Thanos watched Steve struggle. “And for what? The other half of the universe has already given up on your broken team. Aren’t you tired of their blame? There is no one left to help them, to help you.” The Titan let out a deep sigh, as if the thought of Steve’s predicament were burdening him. “You have no one left.”

“You _took_ everything from me,” Steve said with great pain laced in his words. “Everything I had.”

“On the contrary, you had already lost before I came around, Captain.”

There was a pang in his chest but Steve was finally able to stand up again. Before he could do anything more, Thanos had already used the gauntlet to freeze him in place.

“As much as you’d like to believe me to be cruel, I am far from it.” He turned his fist slowly, staring at it. “So I’ll grant you one thing, for all your effort.”

He closed his fist.

  
  
  


When Steve opened his eyes, he was standing in a familiar setting. He peered down at the ugly rug they’d dragged in from the junk a few years before the war, the lamp he’d received as a gift, the armchair his mother had loved that he’d sink into on late nights. Steve was standing in his old 1940s apartment and had no idea how or why.

When he listened closely there was the hum that had always accompanied the cool summer nights, the music coming from Mrs. Barnham two windows away that they’d dance to until the neighbor directly below them complained, the chatter of passers by on the busy streets. He held his hands in front of his face—they didn’t look any different, not smaller and frail like they used to be. His shield was missing and so was his suit.

A breeze softly touched his skin. Steve turned to find the window leading to the balcony wide open as it usually had been in order to let in some air. But it was the figure standing there that caught him by surprise.

He slowly stepped towards it. His fingers shook and he clenched his fist in an attempt to stop them. He quickened his pace, rushing to the tall window in disbelief. He wanted to call out but found himself at a loss for words.

His fingers grasped onto the windowsill. The person was still, unwavering as they stared ahead. Steve slowly climbed through, afraid to clamor and somehow ruin the image.

His feet met the ground of the balcony gingerly. For a moment Steve thought everything would collapse. He frowned.

“Bucky?”

The man turned to meet Steve’s eyes, confused. “Oh man Steve, what are you doing here?”

Steve let out a choked sob and ran forward, completely disregarding his previous fears. He collapsed against his friend as tears fell down his face. “Bucky, oh God,” he said as he held on. Bucky’s features softened, tightening his grip on Steve for a moment before pushing him away. Now, he was visibly angry.

“What the hell have you gotten yourself into?” He attacked.

“How are you here? How—” Steve ignored his question. “Is this real?”

“As real as you want it to be,” another voice said. Steve whipped his head around and came face to face with another person on the already tight balcony. His mouth fell open as Sam said, “How you doin’, man?”

Steve paused for a moment, drinking everything in. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t get a hug? That’s cold, that’s cold,” Sam joked. He cocked his head towards the apartment. “Nice place you got here.”

“It’s a piece of shit and you know it.” Tears welled up in Steve’s eyes again as he nearly crushed Sam in his own hug.

Sam ran a hand up and down Steve’s back. “Shh, why are you crying? What’s going on?”

“Why am I—” Steve straightened up. “You’re _dead_.”

“We figured,” Bucky said slowly, still unimpressed.

“And—” Steve struggled to find words. “You—” He flung his arms in the air in annoyance. “I’m _looking_ at you. In my old apartment. From the 20th century.”

Sam had his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Steve with concern. “He definitely did something he wasn’t supposed to,” he said, but it was as if he was talking more to Bucky than he was to Steve.

“What is this place?” Steve backed away, looking around him frantically. “Where the hell are we?”

“Eh,” Bucky shrugged. “Purgatory?”

Steve leaned his head back, squinting as he stared up at the sky. Sunsets had always been a marvel to him, something he could always remember watching on that very balcony. Yet the sky he was looking up at was different; there was no star leading itself to the west in a sea of blues and pinks. Instead he had just now noticed the sea of a deep orange gradient looking back at him, taunting him. His mouth fell open slightly, his brows furrowing.

“The soul stone,” he whispered to himself.

Sam’s voice broke through his trance. “Are you in trouble?”

Steve gulped, looking back at his two friends. “It’s been years.”

“We wouldn’t know,” Bucky sighed. “Time’s a little different around here.”

Steve nodded slowly. Again, he tried to find something to say. “And everyone else? I mean,” he tried to laugh, “You guys aren’t always stuck here, are you?”

Sam and Bucky shared a look. “We’re here because you sent us here,” Sam said. “Your subconscious, at least.”

“Steve, what did you _do_?” Bucky pleaded, his eyes searching for a clue on Steve’s face. “You shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t even be able to talk right now.”

“I had to—” Steve stopped. He had to what? Why was he there? He didn’t have any idea what the answer was, though he felt like it was at the tip of his tongue. “I came to say goodbye.” Soon the words were spilling out. “This is it, I think. I’m going to finish this, and I’m going to bring you guys back, bring _everyone_ back, and I’m here to see you. I know last time I never got the chance, and I had to live with my mistake for so long, so this is my way of rectifying that, turning back the clock. I know what I need to do now and I need to say goodbye, I need to say sorry, _fuck_ I’m so sorry, I’m sorry—” The words caught in his throat and he gripped onto the railing to keep himself steady. “I’m so fucking sorry, goddamnit.” He covered his face with his hands, ashamed.

“What the hell are you sorry for?” Sam furrowed his brows. “Did you kill us?”

“No, but I—”

“We were all there, you big idiot, we all lost that day.” Bucky shook his head. “What’s with this ‘I’, huh?”

“Goddamn Captain America for you,” Sam tutted.

Steve let out a watery laugh, wiping away at his eyes quickly. “I missed this,” he said softly. He paused, gripping the railing again and staring down at the scene below him. While he thought he’d heard people before, there was not a single soul on the streets. The music was still playing but it had begun to sound like an eerie soundtrack. “I can’t mess this up again.”

Neither of the other two spoke for some time. They joined him at either side at the edge of the balcony, just staring off into the distance. There were many questions to be asked, many things left unsaid, many missed opportunities that would never show themselves again.

“I wish you didn’t have to do it.” Sam broke the silence. “Wish it didn’t have to be you.”

“Yeah, well I found myself saying the same thing a few years back,” Steve replied. “I think my time is long overdue.”

“I hate this,” Bucky said. He refused to look up, his hair hanging in front of his face. “I swear if you do this I’ll kill you dead.”

Steve raised an eyebrow jokingly. “Is that a promise?”

“Think it is, man.” Sam had a soft smile on his face.

“Guess I deserve that.” Steve shivered although the breeze was absent. Sam responded by wrapping a heavy arm across his back while Bucky huffed but leaned into Steve’s side. The hues of the orange sky cast a warm glow on both Sam and Bucky’s faces. They looked like they didn’t belong, out of place in the old apartment. It was time for them to go, but everything was so calm, the moment hallowed.

Steve sighed. Maybe just a little while longer, he thought.


End file.
